Tell us your story, how did you get into this hobby

For me it is both passion and obsession. Started as a child helping my father with his freshwater tank. I found myself trolling the local streams for cool stuff to bring home. Crayfish was my thing then.

Many years later after I graduated college my room mate had a tank that was donated to is from his brother. We both decides to make it a saltwater tank and I have been hooked ever since. I've also been drawn to the ocean and public aquariums and such until one day I decided to read up on it a bit more and here I am. I've learned a ton, and I have a ton more to learn. I just loving having living art at home to enjoy!

 

For me it is both an obsession and addiction.

When I was younger I always wanted to win one of those little goldfish in the bowl at the carnival, so I could take it home and talk my grand parents into getting a fish tank. It never happened.

When I got older and moved in with my wife she had a fish tank with some goldfish in it. I went to the local Walmart and bought some fish to add to the tank. The next day all but one fish was dead. The old goldfish she had. He didnt last to much longer and we took down the tank. We moved in with my grandfather and we set up another FW tank and tried to keep some fish in a new tank, and failed once again. Time went by and about 5 years ago I started getting interested in Fish tanks again. This time I decided to read up on the things I needed and the processes of the tank. I was more interested in FW at the time until I found 3reef.com and started looking at all the beautiful tanks. That is when I decided to build a reef aquarium. My son was turning 2 years old and I saw his eyes light up whenever he saw the SW fish. He liked the FW fish but not as much. That is when I used my son as an excuse to get my tank. I have been building and adding to it little by little every since, july of 2013. I dont have any corals yet but am hoping by march of next year, with a new led light fixture, I can start purchasing them.

 

I have always been fascinated with all things aquatic from a young age. As a young child, I had allergies and the only pet I could keep was fish. Like others on here, that meant looking in nearby creeks and picking up critters to bring home. This hobby then grew into keeping multiple fish bowls throughout the house and eventually we got an aquarium. I spent the summers at my grandparent's house and they lived on Lake Erie. I started catching critters in the lake (baby fish) and then set up two large plastic ponds in the back to keep them. We eventually moved to the lake and I gave up keeping lake critters and had a couple aquariums in my room and then a 10 gallon followed me to college and several apartments.

I kept FW for many years and was too intimidated by saltwater and also too broke to afford it. I set up my first salt tank in the early 90's as a reef tank. As time went on, I realized that it was going to be too much to raise my toddlers and to maintain the reef tank. I broke it down and set up a FOWLR.

I've always been fascinated by aquatic life. As many on here I'm guessing, I toyed around with the idea of becoming a marine biologist. I loved watching Jacque Cousteau (sp) while growing up. Since that didn't happen, I continue to learn more and more about marine life and build my little slice of the ocean in my living room.

 

We had some aquariums when I was a kid and I've always enjoyed learning about aquatic environments but I have I much deeper involvement. I am a combat vet with fairly severe PTSD and where some get comfort with dogs; I am a cat person; I receive a lot of comfort caring for my contained environments and their citizens. It is calming and challenging for me.

 

Bump

 

I just saw pretty fish on a day I was feeling pretty bad. Left the store with a biocube, a couple of rocks and some water. I knew zero. Less than zero. And the store just wanted to make a sale. The store told me to come back the next day when the sand had settled and get some fish. I chose a flame angel and a lionfish. Ya'll know how this turned out....
Horrified at my mistake a started to actually read and find out how this all works. 5 years and three tanks later I'm beginning to figure it out.

 

One day my mom called to see if I was home and could help carry a 100 gallon tank in. I was, and I did. We brought the tank in filled it up with water and once the dust settled... It was green. And it stayed green for quite some time. Looking for answers I turned to the internet and discovered 3reef. The community here helped me get my parents tank clear and the aquarium bug in my blood.

Then I found out about stomatopods (mantis shrimp) and I had to have one. Even had to break up with one girlfriend who thought they were evil murderous little bastards and tried to stop me from getting one.

 

@stepho - They are Evil and Murderous but they are still really cool....

 

Funny.. As someone above mentioned, I guess my passion started at a young age at my school fair when I won a goldfish from the game where you throw a ping pong ball into the bowl. I grew up on the east coast of Florida and our house was on a canal as well. I grew up fishing with my Grandfather on our dock and was always fascinated by what we would catch. As I grew older my cousin gave me a tank and an Oscar to care for in grade school/high school. I got into diving, surfing, and offshore fishing where the sea and its inhabitants were always around me, so I guess it was inevitable! I got away from fish tanks during college and kept an iguana in my apt. Once I graduated and moved back home I met a girl who I dated for many years and she had a 32 gal bowfront with Cichlids in it. Honestly I found freshwater fish boring, and when we would go to the LFS I would always end up in the saltwater section. Eventually we broke up and she kept the tank. Five years ago or so my friend gave me his 55gal upright and his two clownfish. He was over the hobby and I figured why not. I knew nothing, never even did a water change in that tank until my LFS actually started asking me questions on what I had. Shortly after I sold the 55g moved up to a 75 with a sump. Once I had that "dialed in" I started buying corals, but became too much for me. In the meantime my LFS was selling their 300DD show tank and once again why not! So here I am with a 300DD FOWLR. Almost all my knowledge has came from this forum and I thank all of you! I may start another mixed reef tank in the future, but I am content with my FOWLR.... for now

 

@Zgetman true! I still had to have one though!